Virginia Updates Child Support Guidelines

Virginia updates child support guidelines effective today, Tuesday, July 1, 2014. The new guidelines will general result in an increase in the amount of the child support obligation that a noncustodial parent owes. In some cases, the change in the required support will be minimal. For example, under the old guidelines, a person who was unemployed and obligated to support for one child would have an obligation of $65 per month. Under the new guidelines, a person who is unemployed and obligated to support one child will have an obligation of $68 per month. For other people, the change is more significant. For example, under the old guidelines, a couple with combined monthly income of $20,000 and one child would have a joint, monthly child support obligation of $1,324. The support one parent would pay would then be determined in proportion to the respective incomes of the two parents. Under the new guidelines, a couple with combined monthly income of $20,000 and one child will have a joint, monthly child support obligation of $1,591. The difference in support between the two guidelines is $167 per month.

The change begs the question: can I get a modification based on the new guidelines? The answer is yes, if the new guidelines would result in a significant change to your monthly child support, it may be worth it for you to pursue an increase or decrease in child support. Deciding whether to pursue a change, however, is one that you should consider carefully. Other factors that have changed may offset the net change to your support. These factors include the comparative salary of you and the other parent, changes in work-related childcare costs, and changes in healthcare costs. You should consult with an attorney and that will run all the numbers for you to access the advantages to pursuing a modification in support.

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